PORT ST. LUCIE – Considering how pressurized and drama-filled New York City baseball can be, it wouldn’t be surprising for a New York City ballplayer to want to live anywhere other than New York City. That way, at least when you leave the stadium, you can get away from the madness.

Carlos Delgado doesn’t look at it like that.

“I don’t have a place yet, but I’m going to be in the city,” Delgado said yesterday. “We’re going to New York. I’m just going to experience New York, full out.”

Delgado yesterday became the final high-profile Met to report to camp, and the new first baseman is ready to immerse himself in his new city. The slugger has spent his entire career in Toronto and Miami, meaning he has been a division rival of both New York squads. Now he’s a key part of one of them – which should change the way he’s perceived in the Big Apple.

Last offseason, Delgado opted for the Marlins instead of the Mets, and yesterday he recounted the tale of his debut at Tradition Field, the Mets’ spring stadium, last year.

The slugger said his wife “came to the first game here and she was walking into the ballpark and she said, ‘Wow, they’re booing the hell out of somebody out there.’ Sure enough, my name is on the scoreboard, I’m coming up to bat.

“So that’s one thing about New York and I love it – they’re fanatic. They’re passionate about everything they do. And you’ve got to respect that. I tip my cap. When you’re on the receiving end, it’s not that much fun. So hopefully when you’re on the same side of the fence, it will be better.”

It should certainly be better fan-wise for Delgado, who wore his No. 21 jersey yesterday and took some batting practice. At one point, principal owner Fred Wilpon came over to Delgado, shook his hand and chatted with him.

Perhaps the owner told him another year like his last one would be very much welcomed. With the Marlins in ’05, the 33-year-old Delgado hit .301 with 33 homers and 115 RBIs, and yesterday star closer Billy Wagner said Delgado is “very intimidating” because he can go to all fields with equal power.

With the Mets, Delgado will be joining Carlos Beltran, whom he called “a good friend.” Beltran, though, struggled through his first campaign with the Mets last year. It would be hard for the Mets to stomach similar transitional troubles from Delgado.

Delgado, though, insisted yesterday he plans to go about his job the same way he always has.

“I’m just going to play,” he said. “I’m not going to downplay New York by any means, but by the same token, I’m just going to play the same game that I’ve been playing since I was a little kid.”

The one thing Delgado would like to change is his October track record. Actually, he’d just like to have an October track record. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Delgado ranks second among current players in most games played (1,567) without having been in a playoff game (Jeromy Burnitz is first, having played in 16 more games).

“That’s my only goal,” Delgado said. “I just want to have a chance to go to the postseason, hopefully go to the World Series and win the World Series. Almost 11 ½ years and I never had a playoff game under my belt. It would be nice.”